86. Unbearable

86. Unbearable

Omen: 1, 9

“Heave!”

“Ho!”

The porters, who were cousins that appeared to be twins, dropped their palanquin.

“You’ve finally returned!” Jeremy, also known as Remy, said.

“Our prayers were successful,” Jeremiah, also known as Jeremy, said.

“Did you pray for my safe return or the gold in my pockets?” Adam asked, shaking their hands.

“That’s right,” the pair said, before laughing.

Adam smiled. “Good. Now, let me introduce you to the party. This is, as you know, my brother Jurot. These are the most magnanimous Kitool, and the most... Jaygak.” Adam leaned in to whisper. “Be careful, she’s not human.”

“We know,” Remy said. “She’s an Iyrman.”

Jeremy nodded, enthusiastically shaking their hands. “It’s our blessing to porter for three Iyrmen.” He gave a look to Remy, who smiled and nodded in return.

‘We’re definitely not dying today.’

“Well then, shall we?” Adam asked, motioning a hand towards the main road.

“Sorry about Nobby,” Remy said. “He had some family business to attend to.”

“It’s alright,” Adam said, nodding his head, smiling slightly. ‘Let’s hope he’s doing alright.’ He chuckled lightly.

They went to the bakery, where Jurot placed down the basket to one side.

“Are you here for your prework bread?” she asked.

“That’s right,” Adam said.RêAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only

“Didn’t you just come back yesterday?”

“That’s right,” Adam said. “We’re going to be slaying a few bears today.”

Kitool and Jaygak were staying near the sides, glancing at the bread, before they noted the posture Jurot had taken. They glanced between Jurot and Pam, before catching each other’s eyes. Jaygak smirked playfully, but Kitool shook her head.

Jurot paid for the bread and the group all ate the jam buns.

“So you do this every time you quest?” Jaygak asked, noting the looks she was getting from the people around. At first they were terrified, quickly stepping aside, but noting her tattoos, the people quickly calmed.

“Every time,” Adam said. “It’s our prework ritual. Our post work ritual too.”

Jaygak nodded. “It’s a good ritual,” she said, licking her lips.

“Thank you,” Adam said, smiling.

Jurot and Kitool took the lead, helping one another in order to track their prey. Jaygak and Adam kept an eye out, leaving the two to track.

“It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?” Adam said, looking up at the clear sky.

Jaygak nodded. “The summers are hotter to the south, but they get pretty good around these lands too.”

“I don’t like the heat too much,” Adam admitted. “I’m much more used to clouds and rain.”

“Where are you from?”

“The Greylands,” Adam said.

“Oh, you’re from the Greylands?” Jaygak asked, her eyes flashing with surprise, before she narrowed her eyes.

“No. That’s a real place?”

“Yes,” she said, still eyeing Adam up. “It’s near where my people are from.”

“Oh.”

“Bears,” Jurot said.

“Three,” Kitool said, glancing at the ground. “Black.”

Jurot nodded his head, but motioned towards another set of tracks. “One brown.”

Victory!

Brown Bear

+50XP

Adam stared at the experience he had gained. ‘Seriously? This is way harder than making magical weapons...’

Kitool gathered herself during the next hour as Jurot parted the brown bear, before helping the porters load it into the palanquin.

“Should we head back?” Adam asked. “I don’t mind ending the day here.”

Kitool noted Adam glance towards her. “I am fine to continue.”

“We can continue,” Jurot said.

“If everyone else thinks so, then let’s do it,” Jaygak said.

Adam then glanced to the porters. “What do you think?”

“As long as you pay us well, we don’t mind,” Remy said, nodding his head.

“Alright, let’s go,” Adam said.

“Heave!”

“Ho!”

Kitool, who had calmed down from her near death experience, kept an eye out as Jurot led them away. He found the black bear tracks with ease, and followed them, leading the rest of the party.

He had been too busy to think when he was butchering the brown bear, and though he was busy with tracking, he was thinking about what had happened. Kitool, right beside him, falling so easily.

It wasn’t just Kitool falling which bothered him, but the fact that he hesitated against it.

‘Fear?’ Jurot thought. He had faced Balrog with no fear, charging forward to strike the man. Adam had promised him one hit, and he had managed it. Balrog was a mightier foe than the brown bear, and yet, when it came to the brown bear, he failed to strike as eagerly as he should have.

He had been too deep in thought, and had accidentally walked in to see three black bears, each beginning to stand onto all fours as they noted the approaching strangers. Yet it was one of them which had caused them to shudder.

Jurot, with his axe in hand, gritted his teeth. His entire body filled with hot red rage, the veins in his arms popping. ‘Me? A son of the Rot family fearing bears? How dare you shame me this way!’

Without hesitation, he grabbed his axe with both hands and leapt into the air, bringing it down with his full force. The bear, terrified by this sudden attack, jerked away, causing Jurot’s blow to strike the ground.

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 13 (12)

Kitool, shocked at Jurot’s sudden outburst of rage, stepped forward, but her body grew cold. She tossed one of her darts, which struck the bear beside Jurot, but her body refused to step closer from her position.

“Hey Jurot,” Adam shouted, darting forward. “Leave some for me!”

Warrior Spirit: 3 -> 2

Attack (Flanking)

D20 + 8 = 11 (3)

D20 + 8 = 10 (2)

Omen: 1, 9 -> 1

9 + 7 = 16

Hit!

1D6 + 2D6 + 6 = (5)(3, 6)

20 damage!

Adam, filled with his Warrior Spirit, struck wildly towards the black bear Jurot had tried to strike, which had the lightest cut from Kitool’s dart, but he almost missed wildly. Feeling too embarrassed to miss after declaring something so cheesy, plucked a Thread of Fate.

A baker in Red Oak, plump with dark hair, almost drooled as a pair of devilkin Iyrmen appeared, ordering a large number of jam buns.

Adam’s blade, which was going to miss, swerved and cut the black bear’s neck clean, causing its head to drop beside him. He inhaled deeply before flexing his muscles.

Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

Mana: 6 -> 5

Spell: Hex

Attack

D20 + 7 = 18 (25)

D20 + 7 = 10 (17)

Hit!

1D6 + 2D6 + 1D6 + 6 = (6)(2, 6)(3)

23 damage!

“You damn black bear!” Adam snarled, though quickly lost his anger as an uncomfortable wave of emotion flowed through his body after mentioning its colour. His spell struck the beast and seized its muscles for a moment, before he cut its head clean off as it tried to bite his shoulder, the bear’s head dropping beside him.

The last bear stared at him in utter shock and fear, quickly turning to flee.

“Raa!” Jaygak roared, leaping into the fray beside him, swinging her beautiful blade wildly, but completely whiffing, her sword cutting through the air instead of flesh and fur.

Attack (Opportunity)

D20 + 8 = 23 (15)

D20 + 8 = 12 (4)

Hit!

1D6 + 2D6 + 1D6 + 6 = (1)(1, 5)(4)

17 damage!

Adam, gripping his blade with both hands tightly, stepped forward and thrust into the leg of the bear, causing it to stumble.

Jaygak, taking the opportunity, drove her blade deep into the creature’s leg, causing it to fall down before them. It panted and groaned, before Jurot, raising his axe high above him, glaring down at the creature, split its skull in half.

Kitool and Jaygak noted the look of rage on his face, which wasn’t the usual rage of a Rage Dancer, but instead, something far more personal.

Victory!

Black Bears

+75XP

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So begins the slaughter. There will be no more bears near Red Oak!